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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1 A. S. KROTZ, W. P. ALLEN & O. S. KELLY. CONDUCTOR AND CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELEOTRI'GRAILWAYS.

No. 602,336. Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. S. KROTZ, W. P. ALLEN & O.'S. KELLY. CONDUCTOR AND CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTR IC RAILWAYS.

NIT-ED STATES ALVAROS. KROTZ, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, WILLIAM P. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND OLIVER S. KELLY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

CONDUCTOR AND CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,336, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed May 28, 1897 To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that WG, ALVARO S. KROTZ, of Springfield, Olark county, Ohio, WILLIAM P. ALLEN, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, and OLIVER S. KELLY, of Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen ts in Conductors and Con tactin g Devices for Electric Railways, of which the following is-a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in conductors and contacting devices for conveying electric current to movable vehicles; and it relates particularly to that class of conductors and contacting devices used in what has been known as the third-rail system.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description;

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View showing one side of the railway-track and illustrating the constructions employed by us in applying our improved devices to an ordinary railroad and the cars thereon. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the same, with the contacting devices shown in end elevation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a modification in our conductor, showing the same adapted for elevated railroads. Fig. 4 is a similar View of a further modification. Figs. 5 and 6 arerespectively a perspective and sectional elevation of the contacting device in detail.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in the several Views.

at suitable intervals by standards I), which are supported by theties a, which support the track-rail a. In the ordinary track con- Serial No. 638,647. (No model.)

struction these supports 1) are mounted in sockets or chairs 19 each of which has a projectin g web or flange 19 to which the standards are bolted, said sockets being further provided with laterall y-projectin g flanges 6 which rest on the ties a and are adapted to be secured thereto by the usual spikes a which are employed for securing the trackrails to the ties.

The working-conductor or angle rail 1) is preferably secured to the standards I) by bolts b the heads I) of which are countersunk in the vertical wing of the angle-rail b, the nuts I) of these bolts being countersunkin the posts or standards I).

To provide for protecting the working c011- ductor and its connections and supports, we form the standards I) at an angle at the top and place thereon a shield or cover 5 which extends the entire length of the Working conductor. This shield or cover 19 is placed at such an angle on the top of the standards that the outer or projecting edge thereof extends along the horizontal wing of the workin g conductor, with the lower edge of the shield or cover resting on the upper corner of the working conductor, so that the water or moisture is carried by said shield to a point beyond the working conductor and discharged at a point removed therefrom. As a further protection for the working conductor, its connections and supports, We provide at the rear of the working conductor a side shield 17 also of a length equal to the length of the conductor. This side shield 6 is preferably formed square at its upper edge and projects on the inside slightly above the standard I) and is gained into the upper shield or cover 19 as shown, so as to form a tight joint to prevent the moisture from entering at this point. The standards I), cover 79 and side shield 17* are also preferably formed of insulating material, preferably wood,which may be properly treated to resist the elements in any well-known manner-such, for instance, as by boiling in oil or paraffin or painting with weatherproof paint.

To provide for placing the standards, and therefore the working conductor, in proper alinement with the track-rail, we preferably employ on the bottom of the socket-pieces b a rib or projection 1) adapted to fit into a corresponding groove or recess in the tie a. In practice the slots for this projection may be formed by a suitable tool which is gaged from the track-rail, thus furnishing the means of placing the socket-pieces in line at a uniform distance from the track-rail and holding the same against lateral movement while being spiked in position.

In Fig. 3 we have shown the constructions slightly modified. In this case the standards b are supported by bolts 1), which extend through suitable spacing-blocks D and connect the standards I) with a guard-rail a which is employed in elevated track construction, this guard-rail consisting of an ordinary beam or timber which is bolted to the ties in the usual manner.

In Fig. 4 a further modification is employed. In this case the standards b are preferably made in two parts 11 and b and they are further perforated in the line of the working conductor, so as to form receiving-openingsb to support feeding-conductors c. In this case the feeding-conductors between the standards may be further protected by an additional longitudinal shield Z2 placed below the working conductor and on the inside of the standards and of a similar material to said standards and the other shields and covers. These shields and covers may be secured to the standards by any suitable meansthat is, by screws, bolts, nails, or any proper and suitable fastening devices. By having the standards in two parts means are provided by which the standards may be replaced or renewed without severing the feeding-conductors.

When the supporting-standards b are supported at the bottom by socket-pieces 11 We preferably form the said socket-pieces with a bottom opening I)" under the standard Z) and form the tie or support a with a groove or notch a so that any water or moisture which finds its way into the socket may pass out through said opening and find an exit through the slot a In connection with the working conductor 17, formed with the vertical and horizontal wings, as described, we employ a contacting device of a similar cross-section and adapted to fit into the angle formed by the horizontal and vertical wings. This contacting device is constructed, essentially, as follows: A supporting-frame d is provided at or near each end with ribs or flanges cZ,- which connect the horizontal and vertical wings, and between these ribs and flanges there is supported a pivoted block 61 preferably by means of a bolt (1 which extends through said block and through said ribs or flanges cl. This block is made of such a shape that it may have a limited movement upon its pivotal support, so that it may adjust itself to different positions with reference to the frame cl. Secured to this frame, preferably by means of suitable fastening devices 01'', which extend through the corner thereof, is a shoe d, which forms the contact proper. This shoe d is constructed of a size and shape to fit into the angle formed by the wings of the working conductor b. The block d forms a support for the frame and its shoe and is connected to the moving vehicle by means of a yielding and flexible supporting-strip e, which extends downwardly and outwardly from said block, thence upwardly and outwardly to the point of attachment, so that the tension of the yielding strip acts as a spring to force the contacting shoe into the angle of the working conductor.

In order to secure a perfect connection and at the same time permit the shoe to adjust itself with reference to the block (1 we preferably employ a flexible strip of copper e, which is connected to the block and in contact with the spring-support e by the same screws or fastening devices e which fasten said strip to said block. This copper strip 6 passes between the shoe (1 and the supporting-frame d and is held firmlyin contact with the shoe by the screws or other fastening devices d which clamp the parts together. This flexible connecting-strip 6 serves the double purpose of forming a direct electrical connection of the shoe (Z to the supportingspring e and also by the slight resilience which there is in the metal composing the same of holding the block and supportingframe in a normal but yielding adjustment with reference to each other.

It will be seen from the above description that We provide a contacting device and a working conductor which are especially adapted and applicable to all kinds of electrical railroads employing the track construction such as is now already in general use. The parts are simple and can be applied at the minimum cost. The arrangement of the supportingstandards, the an gle-shaped working conductor, and the protecting parts is such that the upper cover is partially supported by the working conductor, and at the same time said working conductor is wholly protected by the inclined cover and the vertical shield. At the same time the conductors are thoroughly protected both against the elements and against accident-a1 contact with the live or working conductors.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a third-rail electric-railway syste1n,the combination of insulating-standards erected alongside the track, a working conductor supported by said standards on the inner side thereof at an elevation above the track, but below the upper ends of the standards, the said conductor projecting horizontally from the standard, and a transversely inclined or sloping cover resting on the tops of the standards and on the extreme edge of the horizontal portion of the conductor, substantially as described.

2. A contacting device for third-rail elec--- trio-railway systems, .the same comprising a suitably-formed body portion or frame having a shoe, a block pivoted thereto, and a resilient supporting-piece connected with said block, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with the contacting shoe and supporting-frame, a pivoted block in said frame, and a flexible supporting-strip connected to said block, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination with the contacting shoe, the supporting-frame, the adjustable block pivoted in said frame, the connectingstrip from said block to said shoe, and a supporting-strip extending from said block in contact with said connecting strip, substan- I tially as specified.

5. The combination with the angularlyshaped contacting shoe and the supportinging supported by said shield, substantially as working conductor, the supporting-standards therefor, the inclined cover and vertical shield for protecting said standards and conductor, said standards being formed in parts and perforated by openings extending substantially parallel with said conductor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination withthe standards, the angle-shaped conductor secured thereto, the vertical shield and inclined cover, said shield being projected slightly above said standards and gained into said cover, said cover bespecified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 11th day of May, A. D. 1897.

ALVARO S. KROTZ. WVILLIAM P. ALLEN. OLIVER S. KELLY.

William P.

JOHN B. PERRY, WILBER O. GoonALE. 

